Electric alarm-signal.



H. J. HOVEY.

ELECTRIC ALARM SIGNAL. APPLwATIoN FILED JULY-18, 1908.

933,369. 3 Patented Spt.7,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. J. HOVBY.

ELECTRIC ALARM SIGNAL. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 18, 1908. 933,369,,Patented Sept. 7, 1909. ZSHEETS-SHEET 2.

l I l llhuunmmum UNITED snares PATENT i HENRY I. I-IOVEY, OF EVANSTON,ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 BRYANT ZINC COMPANY, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS- ELECTRIC ALARM-SIGNAL.

Patented Septrt, 1909.

Applicationfiled July 18, 1908. Serial Not 444 176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I HENRI J. HOVEY, a citizen of the Uni ted States,residing at Evanston, in the county of- (look and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Alarm-Signals, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class ofelectrically-sounded gongs, such as are used as alarm-signals atrailwaycrossings to announce the approach of a train, which, inapproaching the crossing, closes the electric circuit containing thedevice to actuate it. "Similar alarm-signals are also used atswing-bridges and in other connections for warning against danger.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face view, with ashield-detail in section, of my improved device with its' gong-carryingcover removed to disclose the oscillatory hammer and its.electro-inagnetic actuating mechanism; Fig. 2 is a section ontheirregular line'22 Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electriccircuits containing the signaloperating electroma'gnets. a

The casing 4 is an iron casting of circular form with an annularcover-seating shoulder 5 about its edgeand a central boss 6. and bosses8 and 9 in diametrical line with each other on its base. A shield 10 ofthe preferred bulging shape illustrated extends partway about the casingto o erhang what constitutes the are described byits upper portion inthe position of its use, to exclude snow, dirt and the like from theinterior of the gong, hereinafter described.

On the central boss 6 an armature 11 is pivotally supported centrallybetween itsendsto adapt it to oscillate freely, and at opposite pointson the base of the casing are provided iron brackets 12 and 13, eachsecurely fastened through its, base-portion to the casing-base andhaving its flange-portlon' 14 bent, as shown, to describe an obtuseangle with the faces inclining correspondingly from the apex to affordfastening points each for the core of an electromagnet spool. Thus thespools 15 and l6'are rigidly fastened to the flange-faces of the bracket12 and the spools 155 and 166 are similarly fastened to the fiange facesof the bracket 13, the positions of the two brackets being such as tobring the'apexes of their bent flanges in diametrical line with thepivotal point of the armature; and the relative inclination of th=-magnet-spools brings the adjacent polesof those forming the pair 15 and155 fully against opposite sides oft-he armature in oneultra-positionofits throw and the adjacent poles of those formingthepair ll;

and 166 similarly against the respectively adjacent sides of thearmature in the other ultra-position ofits throw. A switchdever 17, ofinsulating material, is fulcruined at one end on the boss 8 and isbifurcated or recessed in its opposite free end where it. receives theadjacent end of the armature; and 1t carrles on its outer face a metalcontact-i I Strip l8. Blocks 19 and 20 of insulating material aresecured on the casing-base at oppo- ;7

site sides of the switch-lever 17, the blocki 19 carrying a metalcontact finger 21 with 1 its free end bearing against the strip 18 nearX the fulcrum ofthe lever to be permanently in contact with that strip,and a. contactfinger 22 with itsfree end extending into position tocontact with the strip 18 near the free end of the lever, thereby toseparate the contact by one throw of the lever, and by its oppositethrow contact the strip with a cir- 8Q cult-closing finger 122 securedon the block 20 in position to form a companion to the finger 22. Theboss 9 has a )ost- 23 extending from it and surrounded y a sleeve 2%,

from the inner end of which an arm 25 projects at a right-angle toreceive in its bifurcated or recessed end the adjacent end of thearmature and the stem of a hammer 26,

forming the gong-striker, projects sin'iila-rly from the sleeve near itsopposite end.

Acover-formingdisk 27 seats removably and 1s fastened against theannular shoulder .5 to shield the electromafgfnet-mechanism;

and a post 28 extends from its center and carries the gong 29, which isfastened,

through a central hole in it, by a screw-bolt 30 to the end of the post,whereby an arcsection of the gong lextends under the shield 10 for thepurpose hereinbefore mentioned.

The circuits containing the 'e'lectromagnets 1 may be traced on thediagram of Fig, 3 as follows: An electric generator is represent edconventionally at 31 with a circuit-closer conventionally shown as apush-button 32,

included in a wire 20 leading from one pole 10 5 of the generator,passing through the magnets 15 and: to connectthem in series andterminating at the finger- 22; a branch .w leads from the wire w throughthe magnets 16" and 166, connecting them in series and terminating atthe finger 122; and a wire 'w connects the finger 21 with the oppositepole of the generator.

From the foregoing description of the mechanism the operation will beunderstood tobe the following: Upon closure of the cirj cuit,. asbyiman'ipulating the push-button and, with the parts in the relativepositions represented in the diagram, the magnets and 155 willbeenergized to attract to their 'poles the armature, thereby causing thelatter to 'turnathe switch-lever 17 inthe directionnto break the circuitat 18, 22 and close it at 18, 122 thus energizing the magnets 16 themembers, the bracket carrying it, the.

" used for alarm-purposes on a-railroad the to thearm 25 momentum whichcauses it to act against the armature and supplement the attractiveforce upon it of the electromag nets with the advantage of economizmg inthe on .rent for energizing them.

It'u'ill be observed that each time a pair of-the electromagnets, themembers of which are disposed in diagonal relation to each other, isenergized by closure of the electric circuitcontaining the same, amagnetic circuit is formed through the .core of one of casing, thebracket carrying the other member, the-core of that member, and thearmature. This renders each pair of the members practically ahorseshoe-magnet, whereby the pulling-force of both poles is exertedclose to the armature. The advantage which eusues is that the operationof the device may be effected with the minimum expenditure of current,or with four volts of a battery where eight volts would be required ifthe magnets were insulated magnetically from each other, or if themembers of each pair were arranged side by side, when the arc of-"movement between the core of the outermost member and the outer-endortion of the armature-Would be material y greater and render the forceof attraction much Weaker than the arcof movement between the core ofthe innermost magnet-and the armature;

As will be understood, where the device is usual or any suitableprovision. is made for effecting the circuit-closure automatically bylocomotives or trains running on the track.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-- 1. In anelectric alarm-si nal the combination with a metal base, of a pair ofmetal brackets secured to the casin in metallic contact therewith, eachof said rackets having'a projecting flange bent to form an obtuse angle,said brackets being secured to the casing so as to face each other,twoelectromagnets secured to each flange with their cores inmetallic-contact with the flange whereby the electro-magnets' secured toeach flange diverge from each other, an electric circuit containing inseries members of said electro-magnets arranged diagonally to each otheron the casing and forming pairs, an

armature pivotally mounted between its ends" to extend'between theelectro-magnet-poles, a ong, a hammer connected to one. end of saiarmature, contact fingers forming terminals in said electric circuit anda switch- -lever extending, between said fingers, said switch-leverbeingengaged by the armature for changing the circuit through said magnets.ii i 2. Inan electric alarm-signalthe combination with ametal base, ofapair of metal brackets secured to the casin -in. metallic contacttherewith, each of said rackets having a projecting flange bent to forman obtuse angle, said brackets bein secured to the casing so as to faceeaclr -other, two electro-m'agnets secured to each flange with theircores in metallic contact with the flange, whereby the electro magnetssecured to each flange diverge from each other, an electric circuitcontaining in series members of said electrdmagnets arranged diagonallyto each other on the'casingand forming pairs, an armature pivotallymounted between its ends to extend between the electromagnet-poles, agong, a hammer connected to one end of said armature, a switch-leverfulcrumed in the casing and engaging at its free end with one end of thearmature, a contact-finger included in said electric circuit andpermanently engaging said lever, contact-fingers forming terminals insaid circuit disposed on said casing at opposite sides of theswitch-lever near its free end whereby current will be caused to passalternately through said pairs of electromagnets when the circuit isclosed.

'HENRY J. 'HOVEY. In presence of- RALPH A. ScHAnrnn,

l l W. T. Jones.

